Stains
by Pepsi Quest
Summary: War leaves a mark on people, this is how the Haddocks deal with their marks.


Stains

**I own my imagination not HTTYD.**

War. It consumes all and leaves nothing good once it's done its work. War causes Death to work over time and Chaos to play and it feeds off of hatred. It grows to uncontrollable proportions and takes whatever it wants, which is usually life and purity.

It turns man on man in a vicious bloody cycle that seems to never end. It brings out the darkness many keep locked up in their hearts and lets it run wild. It can make noble causes evil and twisted until all souls no matter how pure they started out are dirty. Each person involved in a war is left stained, the stains are not necessarily a bad thing to have, it shows what they've done and if they lead good lives, their goodness can cause the stains to fade. Of course the stains can never be removed completely, they become a part of whomever they are attached to, a defining feature.

That's what the Haddocks did. After the dragon war was ended by Hiccup and Toothless the Haddock house spent most of their time helping others. Of course it was expected of them, they were the Chief and Heir to Berk, but they didn't have to get personally involved. Both Stoick and Hiccup could have told someone else to look for lost fishermen or round-up escaped livestock, but no the citizens would go to them for help and so they would help.

To some it didn't make sense, both father and son were very busy without having to fix every problem that came up as well. Hiccup was always training dragons with the academy or working in the forge or on a bad day escaping the clutches of someone who decided to cause the dragon trainer some trouble and Stoick had to make sure the entire island was well fed, well protected and well prepared for anything. So why did they add more to their already overflowing plate?

Some said they like to keep busy, others said they like to control everything that happens, most said they just like to help others. No one asked, it was far more fun for the villagers to gossip about something then nothing, gossip on Berk didn't last long often the truth behind the gossip would get out and become boring. Most of the guesses made were so close to the truth but none of them were right.

Guilt made them helpful. It drove them to become better than they already were.

Stoicks' guilt came from many places the death of his wife, the way he treated his son, the men he lost in battle, but mostly it came from the life he toke. During the dragon war he had killed hundreds of dragons, he spent his whole life fighting and killing them while they defended themselves. He no longer felt the pride he once did instead all he felt was grief. He killed entire families of dragons, then celebrated, he wouldn't be able to ever do that again not.

He couldn't forgive himself, not when he saw the painful reminder of his past mistakes everyday. When he saw his son he was forced to remember exactly how wrong he was for how long and what his mistakes cost his son. His boy lost his leg because Stoick was to blinded by hatred to see the truth, because of him Hiccup was a cripple and many dragons, far more than he cared to count, were dead. Stoick wouldn't forgive himself because he didn't believe he was worth it, but one day he would be.

Hiccups guilt came from after the war. He knew other tribes were still killing dragons and he couldn't stop them all. He knew dragons were being locked up in cages and he couldn't free them, it would make the other tribes mad and bring war upon Berk. So Hiccup helped dragons where he could, he knew it wasn't enough.

Everyday dragons and vikings alike get into disagreements with one another and, unless that viking came from Berk, the dragon would usually become injured if not worse. No matter how hard Hiccup tried there were always dragons that needed help and he could not always give it to them. Hiccup promised to help dragons and everyday he failed. He did not forgive himself because he knew he didn't deserve it, but one day he would.

The Haddocks spent everyday of their lives trying to make themselves worthy of the forgiveness they thought they needed. No matter how busy they were if someone came up to them with a problem then they would help make it better and by the time Hiccup and Stoick toke their last breathes all their stains were nearly impossible to see.

**This story is dedicated to my great-grandfather who fought in WWII, today I couldn't make it to a ceremony in his home town to lay down his wreath for him due to circumstances, a friend did, so I wrote him this. He was a good man, I believe truly he came to terms with what went on in the war a long time ago and I know all his stains faded. I really do miss him, I taught him to use chopsticks when I was six and he was my mothers' hero.**

**Have a lovely Remembrance Day.**

**Pepsi out.**

**P.S The last person to be killed in WWII died at 10:58 AM on November 11****th**** 1945. He was shot by a sniper.**


End file.
